Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-12-08
THE BLACK QUEEN.


eratiOn-The. Story of the Pearsol Family.
Near South Florence, Ala, lives a
colored family, the story of whose ex-
istence is full of example for their white
neighbors.
The family is composed of widowed
mother 80 years old, daughter Sarah
So years old, and five sons-viz., John,
who Is 50 years old and married; Thomas,
AZ years old and married; Ben, As years
old, unmarried; Richard, 80 years old
and married, and Robert, "a years old and
unmarried. These ages are given in
the start, that it may be known how old
they were the boys especially, at the
time, Of the surrender in 1865 when the
family first realized that they were free
and had to start out to plan and labor
to support themselves, because their
success from that date is one of the re
markable features about them. They
were illiterate and full blooded negroes,
not drop of white blood coprsinp their
veins.
/ The mother and all of her children
remained with their old mistress, the
widow Parthena Pearsol, until the close
of the late war; faithfully serving her
wants and wishes, doing oil in their
power to protect her interests, running
and secreting her stock in the mountains
near by to keep the federal soldiers or
others from taking them. After the
surrender they worked on the place as
sharecroppers until the winter of 1869,
and by that time were able to provide
stock, wagons, and farming implements,
so as to go to farming at their own ex-
pense. In the fall of 1869 they purchas-
ed $50 acres of land of the Pearsol estate
on four years. time, for which they paid
up the last dollar in the fall of 1884, be
ing in all IS, 100. In the fall of 1875 they
purchased 16O acres from DR.. William
Jarman, for which they paid cash $4,000.
So in five years they paid for $40 acres
of land. $lO,4 400, as the net profits of the
five years labor.
| Since that time it has been a harder
struggle for farmers to accumulate, but
these industrious negroes have built for
themselves that is those who have fami-
lies good an substantial frame residences,
barns, and all necessars farm improve
ments; also good clubhouse and cotton
press, with which they gin and bale their
own cotton. They, too, have all neces-
sary stock for the use Of farmers-horses
mules, colts, and hogs and are general
| ly prepared to pay the cash for whatever
they buy. They have acquired some
education in the meantime, and those
who have children afford them means end
opportunities to obtain an education
which they profitably apply.
The aged mother lives with her son
| John, and supervises the business trans
actions of all. When the boys sell their
| crops, she requires each to deposit with
her the money, after paying debts, if
| any, which they all cheerfully do, calling
her their banker. When either of tho
boys needs money he has to 20 to his
mother and tell her what he wants to do
with it. If she approves it, she counts
it out to him, and whether she does or
| not, it is agreeable with him, submitting
cheerfully to her decision. The children
mutually accord to her this prerogative
and are as obedient to her will as when
boys 10 years of age, not only in their
financial business, but they would feel
conscientiously disobedient, or as un-
dutiful children, if they were to go to
| town without her permission, which they
| always obtain before doing SO. By such
| discipline she brought them up from
infancy, until 1t became part of their
nature to obey her viii, and perhaps to
this cause is attributable all of their sue
cess. They never frequent political or
occur, don't have disputes with neigh |
bors, never were parties to a lawsuit as
plaintiffs or defendants, and are altogeth-
or peaceable and law abiding citizens,J
making the most of their freedom as be-
comes sensible men, and consequently |
deserve and have won the esteem and |
respect of all their peaceable and law
abiding nejghbors, white and black.
The MOTHERHOOD as she is, with the::assist- |
ance of her daughters and daughters in |
law, spins and weave and make up all the |
everyday clothing for all the families, and |
she and they live peacefully and harmon
iously as one family, the females likewise
recognizing her as Hother and queen of |
the family realm.
Numbers, both white and black, 90 to |
see this colored family. Here is taught
discipline by the head of the family
obedience by the industry and economy
by all. Their heads were not turned by |
the song of "Forty Acres and q Mule''
the promises of Union leagues, but by
honesty, industry, and economy they
labored to live, and this is the happy
result.